China strongly opposes tribunal ruling on South China Sea

An international tribunal has ruled over against Chinese claims on South China Sea, as the court backs case brought by Philippines.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration said that there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including reefs and islands, but the tribunal in The Hague said that China had violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights.

Beijing strongly disagreed and does not accept and recognise the ruling by a UN-backed tribunal on its dispute with the Philippines over the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said.

The declaration in a statement on its website following the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that China has no historic rights to its claimed “nine-dash line” stated that “the award is null and void and has no binding force and that China’s positions are clear and consistent”.

Credit: REUTERS

China also stated that Philippines violates UNCLOS and its provisions on the application of dispute settlement procedures and other rules and principles of international law.

China has repeatedly denied the tribunal’s authority to rule on the dispute with the Philippines over the strategically vital region, and claiming that the court’s ruling are illegal and biased against it.

“China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards. China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards”.